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Nightmare Host
The Nightmare Host "Where angels fear to tread, we stride. Where sensibilities and scruples titter and worry about their insignificant worries, we go forwards without mind to the weak. Where the darkness blocks our way, we open our arms to it, for it is our weapon to wield. The other legions know no fear, but we know fear well enough, and it has become ours"-Visar Taril, Primarch of the Eighth Legion, Dread Lord of Madrem, The Cold. The Nightmare Host are the anointed servants of the plague god Nurgle, whose name has struck dread into the hearts of all who hear it since the Primarch Taril began molding them to his vision of a perfect terror-creating machine. As the Nightriders before the Great Heresy, they were known for their absolute disregard for the sanctity of human life, and the hideous tactics they used to force errant human worlds into compliance. The icy dispassion with which they went about their murderous business earned them many enemies among the Imperium, not least because of their willingness to deploy the Phobosia chemical weaponry into civilian populations to effect mass panic and anarchy, leaving worlds helpless in their path. The legion was tipped yet further into perversion when Visar Taril made a pact with the plague god Nurgle, having been scarred years before by the escape of his viral agents during the Barban Burning. In order to turn his legion to the path of the plague god, Visar activated the Phobosia weapons systems of the entire legion as one. Each individual legionnary was offered a choice by Nurgle: accept the gifts of the Plague God, or perish. Most chose the former, having been indoctrinated since birth to always take the path of greatest power. The Nightmare Host made viscious war upon the Imperium alongside the Traitor Legions, spreading their plagues across countless hundreds of worlds and infecting many more with viruses which would lay hidden for years after the Heresy, before activating themselves and causing death and chaos far and wide. Now the Nightmare Host resides within the Fecund Cluster, a portion of the Dark Imperium given to Visar for his experiments. Their warbands embody the various aspects of plague, decay and fear, and the Imperium is but a great experiment for them to test their newest creations upon. The ways in which they reap their destruction are as varied as bacterium, but all are contrived towards slow, painful deaths which strike terror into those who witness them, and their tactics have grown no less inventive over the years. Unification War History Before the latter part of the Great Crusade, the VIII legion was known as the Pacifiers Legion. They earned this title through their experience in combating insurgencies, and their effective use of lightning strike operations at the heart of the enemy. They took part in a number of operations throughout the Unification Wars, earning themselves their reputation for clean, bloodless campaigns. By the time they took to the stars, they already had expectations to live up to, which they planned to achieve and exceed under the command of Legion Master Mesa Sephalis. Pre-Primarch History In the beginning of the Great Crusase, the legion continued their legacy of quick, efficient battles, leaving behind worlds with their economies and infrastructures almost entirely inact, making the process of bringing them into the Imperial fold relatively easy. Because of the small nature of a number of their operations, the legion was divided into small groups and sent across the fronts of the Crusade, now able to conquer worlds at a much faster pace. A few major operations were undertaken, such as a campaign by the 1st Battalion-"Obsidarians" to bring in a cluster of aligned worlds with great success. It was around this time that the legion became known as the Peace Bringers, and further adapted its strategies to focus almost entirely away from open warfare, leaving that to 'less precise' legions while they crippled the enemy in quick, fell swoops. Aside from human worlds, the legion also found success combating the Orks. Their clans', being bound together often by single individuals, were particularly susceptible to the decaptitating strikes of the VIII. However, the legion's tactics would soon be called into question when they found themselves facing a machine-xenos breed with the ability to elect and install a new leader within seconds of the death of the old, nullifying the legion's effectiveness. This event would shift the legion back toward open warfare, though their speciality would never be lost entirely. Great Crusade Visar Taril was discovered on the world of Madrem in the year 855.M30. Soon after, the Primarch was placed in command of the VIII legion, and this is where many say the darkness began to creep into the legion's soul. At the helm of the VIII, Visar quickly began to reform the legion to his liking. The quick, bloodless tactics of old were replaced with a brutal disregard for civilian life, and the legion's strategies began to focus more on the use of psychological warfare to break the enemy's spirit. Often this would involve mass execution of civilian and military prisoners of war, and public broadcasts of torture to an enemy populace. It was not uncommon for the VIII to herd massive crowds of civilians into the path of enemy machinegun fire, with a view to either soak up ammunition or render the gunners unwilling to fire upon them. The introduction of the Phobosia neural gas occured at this time, giving the legion the ability to inspire panic with the flick of a switch. Aside from the tactical changes, Visar also radically changed the structure of the legion. Visar formed an elite unit of Astartes known as the Midnight Guard, tasked with protecting him as had been the role of the Knives Enforcers on Madrem. The legion was also divided into 250-man companies, with some being devoted to garrison duty on conquered worlds where often their reputation was more than enough to keep order. This was part of his role as Lord Of Order, tasked with putting down rebellion across the Imperium. It would not be long before their reputation with other legions brought them into conflict. In one of the few massed assaults Visar conducted, he and a contingent of the III legion assaulted a defiant hive world with the intent to bring it into the Imperial fold. Visar's Astartes went about this campaign with the same abhorrent methods as all their others: most notably chaining civilians to the sides of their vehicles and dreadnoughts, still alive and screaming. The III legion's primarch was disgusted by this conduct, and the other acts of butchery by the VIII. On the dawn of the fifthteenth day of the campaign, when the two legions were set to advance on the thrid city of the third planet of the Conclave, Avacyn delivered Visar an ultimatum: leave, and allow his ships to be escorted out of the system by III legion vessels, or the Shadow Angels would turn on them. Visar spat on the offer, knowing that Avacyn did not have the authority to act in this way. When his legion did march to war, he found the III waiting for him. The two legions stood in opposition for a few minutes, before Visar gave the order to advance further into the city. When the Shadow Angels opened fire, the Nightriders did the same, with Visar confident that he was in the right due to the III being the first to fire a shot. As they battled, the Shadow Angels found themselves the targets of the same tactics that the Nightriders had used on the civilians. Captains were slaughtered in full view of their troops, while thick green gas melted their power amour's joints. Most aggregious was the stealing-away of the Shadow Angels' dead, and the robbing of their geneseed by VIII legion apothecaries. Visar was giving no quarter, now of the attitude that the III had committed treachery by firing on them, and that they were no less of an enemy than an Ork WAAAGH. The fighting continued until the intervention of outside forces from the 1st Legion-"Honorbound", and both parties agreed never to fight alongside each other again This incident would be the beginning of the isolation of the legion. At the VIII's tactics geared more and more towards psychological warfare, they grew insular. Visar's strict policies abolished all traditions and unnecessary practices, turning the Nightriders into cold, emotionless warriors who fought merely because they were told to fight. Other legions grew apart from the Nightriders, save for the XIV, who shared many of the secular ideals of the VIII. Visar and Aes themselves grew close, their appreciation for the sciences and development of unusual technology bringing them close. Visar admired Aes for his dedication to improving his physical form, no matter the views of others. Great Heresy Following the Burning of Barbarus, Visar sealed himself away to hide the fact that he had been mutilated by a combination of his own creations. With his body failing, his legion shamed, and the Great Crusade coming to an end, he could hardly have denied Nurgle's offer of eternal life at the cost of his legion. Heizo's confiding in him had already pushed him close to the edge of his loyalty, and the promise of a new, healthy body and the opportunity to develop his technology out of the crushing grip of the Emperor were enough to tip him over. As the first battles of the Heresy were sparking themselves an inferno, Visar embraced the Plague God and ascended into daemonhood. To convert his legion, Visar activated a protocol hidden in the Phobosia weaponry of the legion, turning the weapons on their bearers. As the Astartes began to fall to their own chemicals, Nurgle offered them all a choice: accept his gifts, or die as weaklings. Most chose the former, and the VIII took on a new form as the Nightmare Host, a legion of plague-desecrated, terrifying warriors with death coursing through every atom of their being. The Nightmare Host spent most of the Great Heresy re-organising themselves, as their spread throughout the galaxy had stretched their forces wide but thin. As the various garrison companies and crusade groups re-united, they reaved their way across the Imperium, spreading disease and terror wherever they went. Not only did they wreak havoc directly on Imperial settlements, but perhaps more insidious was the use of the new plague tactics available to them. Seeding densely populated worlds with pathogens designed to stay hidden while they spread led to trillions of deaths, while trade hubs and agri-worlds carried the infections to dozens of other worlds. Their main opposition were the Death Lords under Solgrim, who bled the legion significantly on their path to Terra. The Legion, though scarred by their journeys and Solgrim's minions, were united for the Siege of Terra as the Lords of Terror once more. The legion that set out from Terra as the Peacebringers, known for their bloodless campaigns and attention to restoration of fallen domains had undergone a terrible transfiguration, and now returned as vengeful, rotting warriors intent on blackening the skies that had once seen the colours of the VIII fly with pride. The Nightmare Host's effectiveness would truly come into play during the second phase of the battle. While titans and battalions clashed in an effort to wrest control of the Imperial Palace, Visar's legion turned their sights on the massive urban sprawls, which looked from above more like massive culture plates for the diseases of Nurgle. They descended upon the megahives with contempt, and quickly began the work of infecting water supplies, air circulation systems and food banks with pathogens that woulf take centuries to fully identify, let alone remove. While Terra's population suffered under the polluted clouds and pestilent swarms that the VIII brought with them, the legion swept deep into the hive, planting devices designed to activate millennia after the war was over, restarting epidemics among the populace. By the time the Death Lords legion engaged them, the hives were little more than pits of hellish disease beyond all recognition. The daemons of Nurgle rampaged through these breeding grounds, summoned by the sheer amount of fetid life that was multiplying inside them. The Nightmare Host and Death Lords fought a series of massive battles, using wights and daemons as pawns for their battles, and by the time the Siege was over both legions were mauled. The Nightmare Host retreated, their work done and their ships teeming with the plague minions gathered in the assault. Despite their losses, Terra had been tainted irrevocably, and they knew the favour of Nurgle was upon them for the work they had done that day. Post Heresy After retreating from Terra and the Imperium, the Nightmare Host became a part of the newly-formed Dark Imperium, and took up residence in a five-planet cluster located in its heart. The legion operates as it used to, with a substantial amount of its forces dedicated to maintaining the borders of the Dark Imperium, while other companies raid into Imperial territory. More important are the cabal of scientists at the legion's heart, who scheme away to devise ever more virulent diseases. The Nightmare Host is capable of bringing down whole subsectors through carefully placed infections, weakening them then driving home for the kill. Though their tactics have changed with their bodies, their reputation as sadists and terror-bringers has not diminished, and their name is known across the Imperium for the dread it inspires in the hearts of the common folk who know of them. Combat Doctrine The current combat doctrine of the VIII legion is two-fronted. Before an attack, a legion strikeforce will seed a planet with diseases designed to weaken the planet before they attack. Once the disease has ravaged the defenders sufficiently, the strikeforce will deploy in the manner their commander sees fit. This usually sees them targeting the planet's leadership and major population centres, wreaking gory, using their pre-heresy tactics of inspiring terror among the populace to force their surrender. If a planet is known to export to many other planets, they will often wait until the infections have spread to multile planets before attacking. During the infection stage, if a strikeforce has warp-learned sorcerers among them, they will prepare a summoning of daemons of Nurgle using the power of the new infections on the world. Once the daemons cross over, it signals the doom of a world, for no matter what happens afterwards the world must be sterilised completely. Notable Figures Visar Taril-The Lord of Order, Primarch of the VIII Legion. "As part of your reimagination, you will each be given the tools to induce fear in your enemies, pure and undiluted. You will learn how to manipulate their fears. Fashion your armour into a shape that will strike terror across the stars. And fashion your minds to your new task. The xeno will learn to fear us, as will all who stand in the path of Humanity. As such, I name you now, Peace Bringers no longer, my Nightriders, and I name this vessel Perterriti. There will be much change to come, but I expect you all to adapt to it. As fear is our weapon, we shall know it, and know it shall beget its use"-Visar Taril, at his meeting of the VIII Legion. Visar Taril is the Primarch of the VIII legion, and its commander-in-chief. 'Born' on the chemical world of Madrem, he quickly rose to power through the gang his father was the leader of, using his superior intellect to refine the production of the Phobosia Neurochemical Weapon. Having butchered the rival gangs and established an ironclad grip on the world, he reformed its structures into a brutally efficient system, his former gangmates transformed into professional soldiers serving as his bodyguards. Taril ruled Madrem for years, until his siblings Celestia and Varkas found him. Upon learning of his role in the Imperium, he accepted command of the VIII legion, then titled 'Peacebringers', and began reforming them into his ideal of a legion of terror-bringers so devoid of humanity that they would commit any action, bring down any atrocity on an enemy, in pursuit of victory. Throughout the Great Crusade, he led the legion into many a successful compliance, leaving shattered, broken worlds behind him whose populace would be forever scarred by the presence of the Nightriders. Soon, he had risen to Lord of Order, his legion divided to serve as garrisons across the Imperium. There, they exercised more restraint, the black skull banner often enough to induce compliance in any world. However, after the Burning of Barbarus and his infection by a cocktail of his own chemicals, Visar turned to darker sources to save himself from his own creation. Eventually, he turned to the Plague God himself, turning him and his legion over to Nurgle's service. He gained his vitality back, at the cost of his soul, but as anyone who had met the primarch knew, he had given up his soul long ago. Having led his legion on a campaign across the Imperium, slaughtering and infecting wherever they went, Visar took part in the Siege of Terra. There, the Nightmare Host gathered in full strength for the first time since their conversion, and wreaked havoc through the civilian centres of Terra, leaving behind wounds that would never truly be healed. Now, Visar rules his tiny cluster of worlds in the Dark Imperium from the plague planet of Ysinia Pestis, where he directs the legion's raiding and defensive warbands, and concocting new chemicals and plagues with which to devastate the Imperium. His body has been infested with the most virulent of Nurgle's plagues, flies and daemonic insects swarming around his rotting limbs, whilst spores drift out from his throat with every breath. To be in his presence, even for an Astartes, is death. When, rarely, he takes to the battlefield, he still carried his ancient scythe Deadmaw, and the Phobosia grenade launcher that won him so many compliances during the Great Crusade. Now, that blade and gun kill in the name of another, more fetid cause: the advance of Chaos' goals, and the glory of the Plague God. The Nightmare Guard "Being in his presence so long changes a man. Even the indoctrination, the training, the surgical enhancement, that doesn't quite prepare you for the look in his eyes. You know from the start he isn't human, he isn't even like his siblings. He's something different, like he sucks all the humanity out of you. An emotional heatsink draining the world of emotion around him. And we were with him every second of every day. I think it changed us too"-A Nightmare Guard Sergeant, reflecting on his service before the Great Heresy. The Nightmare Guard are the elite bodyguard unit of the VIII legion. Comprising a company's worth of Astartes, their first and only duty is the protection of the Primarch. They differ only slightly in equipment from a regular Nightmare Host legionary, as standard as any of them are now that Nurgle has blessed them individually with his gifts. The Nightmare Guard wield hollow spears capable of firing darts from their tips, and have cloaks of dark blue fabric over their shoulders. They remain with the Primarch at all times, and any who would bring harm to him must first past these Astartes, trained beyond even the superhuman standards of their fellow legionaries, and armed with the deadliest of Nurgle's plagues. The Cabal of Terror "If there is truth in the phrase that evil attracts evil, it can be found in no greater concentration that in that collection of madmen. Whatever foul darkness has infested their souls, it is better for us all that they remain contained, lest their evil be unleashed upon the rest of us" The Cabal of Terror is a unique group of specialised individuals within the Nightmare Host, who make up their most potent scientists, psychologists, and strategists. While formations like the Nightmare Guard and The Silence are the military elite of the VIII, the Cabal can be considered to be its intellectual elite. The Cabal are responsible primarily for aiding in the creation of new biological and chemical weapons, and the devising of new strategies designed to break the will of a population quickly. They are also responsible for testing new creations in unique ways, to determine whether they have any side effects. An example of this can be found in the logs of Chief Apothecary Aslekius, one of the leading members of the Cabal: Log-7734/1 Chief Apothecary Aslekius reporting. Lord Taril has given me leave- wet ripping, accompanied by belching, coughing and insectoid buzzing My, what a large specimen. I think it tore something on the way out. Anyway, as I was saying, Lord Taril has given me and the other Cabalites leave to do a bit of boundary-pushing while the legion recuperates, and I would be remiss not to record my results as best I can. humming, consistent with that of a Hippocrat-class mobile medicae bed Our first lucky vic… corrupted human sighing. Note: no damage to records detected. Corruption of audio suspected to be native to recording Subject is an Imperial Clerk, captured by the legion during the seeding operation on Tophaz Mundor. Poor sod was trying to escape on a shuttle. Subject is a thirty-five year old, baseline human, with a single dataport implant and noospheric interface. Subject appears to be in good physical condition, with no signs of undernourishment or significant physical trauma, though a notable lack of hamstring or quad muscles. Oh look, he seems to be waking. rattling of chains Good morning shouting, demanding to know where (the subject) is, and who (the research staff) are Oh, lets not worry about all that. Suffice to say, you’ve been selected for a very special task. shouting, heavy cursing and expletives Actually, I don’t think Lord Taril has a mother, though I’m sure he’d be...absolutely unaffected to hear you say that, come to think of it. But, I must ask you to stop, or I’m going to have Unit 4-5 gag you, and trust me you don’t want that. I don’t think he’s washed that rag in years. cursing tails off, replaced by a quiet whimpering Oh, theres no need for that. Save your tears, you’ll need them for later. Now, for this particular test, I wanted to see exactly how much pain the human brain can take before it...does something unexpected, so I developed a delightful little neurophage designed to halt the brain’s ability to shut down the body due to excessive pain. For any laymen reading this, this essentially means that the body has no defence against overstimulation. I also added a sensitising agent, for good luck. hiss and whine similar to that of a medicae-servitor injector appendage Now, while we wait for that to take effect...ah yes, here it is, Phobosia/AC. I’ve specially acidified this strain to be as painful as possible without inflicting significant damage on the patient’s internal organs. I’ve also combined it with the venom of the Barban Bolter-Ant, said to have the most painful sting on the world. We shall have to see. Now, that phage should be just about done by now, so...4-5, could you come here please? mechanical whirring sounds. A repeat of the earlier injection sound, accompanied by a hissing consistent with that of low-mass liquid particle dispersion systems And now that’s going, we simply wait. human screaming, indicating intense physical pain. The sound continues for a few hours, then is replaced with metallic clanking and banging for a few moments, then silence Well, that was certainly unexpected. Note to self: find way to suppress seizures in subjects. Well, that was about as informative as can be expected, 4-5, get it out of here. I don’t care where, give it to the Cabal, they love this sort of thing. log 7734/1 Ozymandias Orborne-The Midnight Prince, The Right Hand. "A man must have a right hand and a left if he wishes to hold a weapon, I like to think of myself as the trigger finger of the Dark Imperium...as vain as I sound"-Ozymandias Orborne. Principal among the various administrators of the legion is Captain Osmandius Orborne. Once the commander of Visar's Terror Maker enforcers, he was elevated to the position of a captain in the VIII when the legion came to Madrem and Visar picked those suitable for genetic uplifting. Orbone served with distinction in the Great Crusade as the commander of the 82nd Company, one of the companies that Visar had not assigned to garrison duty. Though it went beyond his remit, Orborne often devoted significant effort into the post-compliance running of a world, ensuring its government was set up in the most efficient manner possible. As the embers of the Heresy began to cool, and the Dark Imperium formed, Visar's realm within began to take shape. He had a number of 'normal' worlds, where the populace was enslaved to create war machines and armaments for his legion, and a smaller number of Experimental Worlds, where the plagues of Nurgle ran rampant to his designs. Seeing Orbone's aptitude for civil management, he placed him in charge of the governance of his regular worlds, ensuring they pumped out weapons for his legion at the fastest possible rate. Orbone distinguished himself amongst Visar's governors, and soon took his place at Visar's right hand as the Prince of Darkness. Orborne is an oddity in the VIII, not because of his skill or mental fortitude, but because he is one of the infinitesimally small minority to not be gifted with the plagues of Nurgle. His company was too far away from the body of the Imperium for their armour to recieve the signal to activate, and upon returning swore himself and his warriors to Visar's new service as they were, rather than inflict the Phobosia upon himself. Orborne is marked as one of the few VIII legion members to often show emotion. His sinister smile has been known to drain men's courage from their bodies, and his rigid logic is combined with a sly cunning that few in the VIII can match. Unique technology Phobosia Weaponry Near-ubiquitous amongst the Nightmare Host, the Phobosia Neural Hallucinogen Delivery System, often simply Phobosia, is a group of chemical compounds developed by the primarch Visar Taril during his time on the chemical world of Madrem before his discovery by the Emperor. Often taking the form of a highly miscible, thin gas, Phobosia is essentially a massively powerful hallucinogen which specifically targets the fear centres in the human brain. It's chemical structure was designed to be easily mutable, giving rise to a number of 'strains' of the gas which can create different effects, or to have different physical properties, such as a different colour or density. The gas has been used extensively both by the Knives gang on Madrem and the VIII legion in their psychological warfare, often paired with attacks specifically designed to emulate the mythology of that world. Repeated or massive singular exposure to the chemical may induce psychosis and eventually total loss of faculties. The gas can be absorbed through the lungs, or through pores in the skin, meaning that fully protective airtight equipment it required to resist its effects. Phobosia/TX The Phobosia/TX variant, unlike the standard variant, is toxic to most humanoid life. Exposure will create pulmonary and circulatory issues, and continuous or massive exposure is considered deadly. Phobosia/AC Phobosia/AC is a highly caustic gas, which rapidly dissolves flesh and softer materials such as armour joints. This is used by the legion when an enemy is equipped with armour which renders their typical gasses useless. The acidic elements in the gas are derived from the acidic compounds found in the Life Eater virus, meaning it is capable of dissolving Astartes power armour. In sufficient amounts, an alkaline chaff can be deployed which neutralises the gas, but supplies of the gas often exceed supplies of the chaff, and only a small amount of gas needs to escape the effect of the chaff to severely damage a defending force. Phobosia/WD WD variant gas is thinner, and spreads over a wider area. This is useful when only a small amount of gas can be stored in an area to be used against a large opposing force. Phobosia/DE DE gas has a delayed effect upon entering a person's bloodstream, using a slowly-releasing microcompound to deliver the chemical into a victim. This gas is useful for hit-and-run attacks, where an attack cannot be pressed immediately, but needs an opportunity to be created to attack a specific location. Phobosia/IF Phobosia/IF is a mixture of Phobosia and a crowd-control gas used by Arbites forces. The gas creates chemical burns upon contact with human skin, causing rashes, watering eyes and flooding lungs with fluid. Over long periods of time, and almost-undetectable use, mortal soldiers have been known to deglove their entire bodies in fits of madness created by the constant itching. Phobosia/FL FL strain gas is highly flammable on contact with a heat source, comparable to rich petrochemical compounds. This gas found favour with commanders facing Orkoid attacks regularly, as the explosive secondary effect can cleanse wide areas of spores. Phobosia/CE Continuous effect gas produces a hallucinatory effect over several days, paralysing soldiers as their minds create visions of their worst fears. This gas is often used in siege operations. Phobosia/RD Radioactive Phobosia emits high concentrations of radiation, causing exposure sickness in victims. Though a slow method of death, it is particularly painful for those afflicted, and has a major psychological effect on those whose units are subjected to it. Phobosia/VR Phobosia/VR is one of Visar Taril's personal projects. His use of acidic elements derived from Life Eater Virus, and his studies of psycho-epidemiology, led him to a conclusion that human beings respond with particular fear to outbreaks of seemingly-incontainable diseases. To this end, he began developing a strain of Phobosia which was not, in fact, a gas at all, but a virus which spreads in the same way. This virus would be highly virulent, but would not display outward symptoms for a few days, giving it time to spread. This project had finished completion shortly before the Burning of Barbarus, and was the method by which Taril turned his legion over to the service of Nurgle. = Plague Screamers Many of the plagues of Nurgle are not spread through typical means. Memetic and spiritual plagues are, in a way, more deadly than traditional pathogens, as they defy conventional science. To this end, the Raptors of the Nightmare Host are known as Plague Screamers. The voxmitters mounted on their armour are used to transmit highly contagious memetic agents, which when absorbed by the human brain cause debilitating memetic viruses which then go on to spread beyond the original infectee. The high mobility of the Raptors and the range of their audio systems makes them an unbelievably deadly asset on the battlefield, and their screams have been the deaths of whole armies in the past. Notable Companies 375th Company-The Rotting Fog Commander: Captain Malakar Strength: ~250 Astartes This company of the VIII legion has become the beneficiaries of a specific plague known as Nurgle's Breath. This disease causes all those infected, Astartes and mortal alike, to exude a thin green vapour from their pores which is a vector for the disease. When an uninfected human comes into contact, the virus causes rapid mutation: damaging the stomach and lungs and converting them into organic factories for more of the virus. The mutations also cause rapid bone structure changes in the host, and several hollow tubes burst through the back, which spew large clouds of the same gas. The host then takes on the same characteristics of a plague zombie, and seem to be controllable by the Astartes of the Rotting Fog. This infection is particularly dangerous because of the exponential spread of the virus, and the ease with which it infects new hosts. 13th Company-The Communion Commander: Captain Kresk Lorsis Strength: ~200 Astartes One of the more divergent groups of Nightmare Host, The Communion became obsessed with the use of and communion with deamons of Nurgle. Visar was at first suspicious of the practises of the more religious sects of Chaos space marines, but after the widespread use of Nurglite Daemons during the sacking of the hive cities of Terra during the Siege of Terra, he gave the 13th Company carte blanche to experiment as they wish, with new methods and tactics being brought to him for review. The Communion is often summoned when the Nightmare Host requires large numbers of troops, but are not willing to commit space marines to an engagement. 7th Special Deployment Company-Deathly Choir Commander:Captain Voxtar Clamus Strength: ~80 Astartes The Deathly Choir are the largest concentration of Plague Screamers in the Nightmare Host. This company almost never deploys as a unit, but is instead dissolved amongst the other active companies of the legion. The role of the company as a whole is to provide centralisation to the Plague Screamers, in case a large number of them are needed for a campaign. The Degradation Commander: Captain Vlasti Chernys Strength: ~150 Astartes The Degradation are a group of Astartes focused on radiation sickness and its effects on the human body. On many battlefields their very presence is deadly, as they emit an aura of radiation strong enough to kill a man in minutes. Their ammunition and weapons are also soaked in lethality, and even a minor cut from one of their knives can spell a slow, horrible death. Unfortunately their strength is also their greatest curse, as the Astartes of this company suffer continuous degeneration of their flesh, requiring ever more advanced medical and bionic treatments to continue fighting. 199th Company-The Fleshmelters Commander: Captain Hidrolicus Akkis Strength: ~310 Astartes Specialists in the use of Phobosia/AC, the 199th Company are adept at compromising enemy positions before another force makes an assault. Unless an enemy has large quantities of alkaline chaff, or protective bunkers able to withstand Life Eater attacks, the caustic clouds that follow the Fleshmelters constantly are lethally effective at degrading wargear, supplies, and most importantly protective gear. If an enemy takes shelter within sealed bunkers, the Fleshmelters will keep them pinned down until the gas corrodes its way in, or until the enemy runs out of supplies. The Fleshmelters are not only a potent battlefield asset, but also deadly when combined with other Phobosia strains, as the acidic elements eat through seals and armour to allow the chemicals access to their targets beneath. The Silence Commander: Unknown Strength: Unknown The nature and origins of The Silence are highly classified, some saying only Visar Taril himself knows of them. The Silence are a unique group amongst the Nightmare Host, specialist operatives amongst an already specialist force. Their primary strategy involves infecting a world with a tiny amount of an almost-undetectable disease. The diseases are micro engineered to be slow, progressive, and capable of hiding themselves from medical scans. In this way The Silence is able to cause epidemics more potent that any other Nightmare Host group can achieve with similar resources. The diseases are not only meant to infect and kill, but inspire a constant fear in a populace as the nightmare plague ravages them, seemingly unstoppable and unpredictable, and painful in its effects on an individual's body and mind. Once a planet is all but devastated, they strike, their armour painted in all-black, wielding power scythes and flensing handguns. Some among the traitors have begun calling this group "Taril's Reapers". The only substantiated rumour regarding the makeup and composition of The Silence is that their commander once served with Visar's elite Nightguard (later Nightmare Guard) before the Heresy,